Noted livestock agency network Savage, Barker and Backhouse and Arrow Farmquip have joined forces and will hold a half day seminar that focuses on stockmanship as part of the Beef Australia Westpac Property Tours program.

The half day tour will take attendees to the SBB demonstration stock yards located at Nerimbera, just outside of Rockhampton, on Monday, May 7.

The tour will showcase the demonstration facility, including a fully operational set of stockyards with the latest low-stress stock handling products by Arrow Farmquip.

SBB Branch Manager Damien Freney describes the tour as a perfect mix of theory and hands on experience.

“The theory session will focus on the commercial benefits of low-stress stock handling for producers and those involved in the supply chain,” Mr Freney said

“The practical demonstration will showcase key concepts for communication with stock and highlight the importance of position, movement and pressure when working cattle.”

Participants will hear from Boyd Holden who is a livestock handling and animal welfare consultant based on the Northern Rivers of NSW.

His expertise in training people in livestock handling and developing problem solving systems, have been rolled out across the live export industry, the meat processing sector and are internationally recognised for setting the standards globally.

The tour will showcase the demonstration facility, including a fully operational set of stockyards.

Participants will also witness practical demonstrations from Dr. Ron Gill who has been a Professor and extension livestock specialist for Texas A andM AgriLife Extension for 33 years.

Also included in the half day program is a brief presentation on Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry by Teys Australia.

DEXA is set to revolutionise the beef industry with the technology being used to measure the amount of fat, bone and meat in a carcase.

DEXA will provide beef producers with better feedback about the quality of their meat and make farming processes more efficient, tying in with the theory and practical learnings from the rest of the tour.

This tour offers participants an insight into evolving beef practices and highlights the benefits of low-stress handling for cattle and producers.